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Earlier it was rumoured that the upcoming 5.68″ Galaxy Note 3 will come in 2 different variants of different processors just like the current Galaxy S4. Now a source close to Sammobile has revealed more confirmed details of the models with list of country availability.

For Malaysia, we will be getting both 3G & LTE versions which is similar to the current Galaxy S4 availability here. With commercial LTE coverage being rolled out in Malaysia and Qualcomm’s better track record of power management, the LTE version for the Galaxy Note 3 would be a better pick between the two. All shall be revealed on 4th September and we expect Malaysian availability to follow closely right after. Hopefully they will launch both model simultaneously if it gets here.

The LTE version of the Galaxy S4 (i9505) is now available from Maxis for as low as RM1,399 with contract or, for a limited time, for RM999 for Maxis One Club members (RRP RM2,499). Aside from a more battery efficient 1.9Ghz quad-core processor, the LTE Galaxy S4 is virtually identical to the non-LTE version in terms of looks and, arguably, in performance as well.

But where the octa-core, non-LTE S4 is a battery muncher, the LTE S4 offers a significant improvement in battery performance over the non-LTE version though we’re not sure if the RM300 premium is worth it considering LTE coverage in Malaysia is sporadic at best right now. So if you’re staying in outside of market centres like Klang Valley, Penang or JB, you won’t be able to benefit much from the speed offered by LTE.

Or you can just opt for our current favourite, the HTC One offering great build quality, awesome sound from the dual front speakers, a display that’s better than the one on the S4 and a fuss-free interface that’s free from gimmicky bloatware. And, at RM2,299 for the 32GB version, the HTC One is RM200 cheaper than the 32GB LTE Galaxy S4.

In any case, the Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE joins Apple’s iPhone 5, iPad mini and iPad 4; Blackberry Q10, HTC One, Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC One XL on the list of LTE devices currently available from Maxis.

Maxis’ position as the country’s leading 4G LTE operator is further strengthened with a claimed LTE subscriber base of over 130,000 customers since the service was available on January 1 this year. In addition, Maxis say that it has doubled its 4G LTE coverage in the Klang Valley to include areas such as Bukit Damansara, Kepong, Sungai Besi, Sentul and Subang Jaya, as well as expanded LTE to Penang and Johor Bahru in addition to Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.

For the full list of Maxis’ 4G LTE coverage areas, data plans and devices, click here.

Earlier, Samsung held an event to announce it’s highly anticipated Galaxy S4 device (successor of the highly successful Samsung Galaxy S3) and it appears to meet all the expectations thrown at it. It is one of the most important event for Samsung this year (Check out how HTC and LG troll Samsung in the event). As a successor to the S3, it looks fairly similar to the GS3 physically (yeah the plastic build remains) but internally, it packs a much powerful package.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 includes either an Exynos 5 chip from Samsung or a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor (depending on your region), with a full 2G of RAM and a huge 2,600mAh batter. You’ll be able to get this beast with 16, 32, or 64 G of storage, along with a microSD slot for expansion. We have an improvement in camera to 13MP from 8MP and many great software which come along with it. Though most of the software is not very useful or not something which will be useful in everyday usage, but the question is why not? Anything is better than nothing right?

It spots a 5-inches 1080p Super AMOLED screen which is longer. Yeah longer. And no one says anything this time. But undoubtedly, the screen looks amazing with over 400ppi available for your eyes to lust. 441ppi to be exact. It is also thinner and lighter than the Galaxy S3. In fact, it is only 0.1mm thicker than the iPhone 5. And it runs the most current version of Android which is the Android 4.2.2. And yes, yes the smart scroll is there which allows you to scroll up and down by tilting the device up and down and to pause videos when you are not paying attention. Sounds neat.

We dont have any pricing yet but it is expected to be priced similarly to the price of Samsung Galaxy S3 when it is first launched last year. We can start seeing it available as early as April and when it arrives in our shores, it will be May at the earliest.

So what is your verdict? Will the Samsung Galaxy S4 be the ONE? Will the iPhone remain at the top with iPhone 5S? Will HTC or NOKIA come out with an answer?

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is set to be unveiled by Samsung in the event on Thurdays 7PM in New York (It will be 7AM 15th March 2013 local time). With all the recent hype and marketing by Samsung, a truly revolutionary device is expected. A device that most people say will finally take over iPhone in the top spot of the Smartphone battle. We will see it for ourselves when the Samsung Galaxy S4 is officially announced.

Here is what you should expect from the S4. Sadly Bloomberg confirms that there will be no eye-scrolling for the S4 yet but it will surely be in the future.

One of the leaked photos of Samsung Galaxy S4

1. Dimensions

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” This mantra sounds like it’ll apply to the dimensions of the Galaxy S4, which is said to be only slightly different from the Galaxy S3 — and that’s a good thing. In fact, it looks like Samsung is following its own formula when it transitioned from the S2 to the S3: Make the screen a little bigger, but the phone a little thinner. The Samsung Galaxy S3 measured 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm, but the Samsung Galaxy S4 is said to measure slightly longer at 140.1 mm and slightly wider at 71.8 mm, but much thinner than its predecessor at just 7.7 mm thick, which is just a tad (0.1 mm) thicker than the iPhone 5.

2. Display

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is a beautiful smartphone with a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display and a 1280 x 720 resolution of 306 pixels per inch, or ppi; its successor, the Samsung Galaxy S4, is said to feature a slightly larger 4.99-inch Full HD SoLux Display with a reported resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, which comes out to be an extremely dense-looking display at 450+ ppi. If the display isn’t SoLux, it’s possible Samsung will implement its experimental phosphorescent organic light-emitting diode (PHOLED) displays, which can be up to four times more power efficient than the current OLED screens in the Galaxy S3. That said, we’re not sure if those PHOLED displays are fully ready for mass production just yet, so we’ll keep our money on the Full HD SoLux Display showing up in the Galaxy S4.

3. Chipsets

The Samsung Galaxy S3 was powered by Samsung’s own quad-core 1.4 GHz Exynos 4 processor and an ARM Mali-400 for its GPU. Both chips are said to get an upgrade in 2013, and the Samsung Galaxy S4 is said to feature a new Exynos 5 Octa CPU, which was initially used in the company’s Chromebook model — the new processor is said to have eight cores for enhanced work flow and power efficiency. Last year’s ARM-based GPU is also said to be replaced by a new 1.9 GHz Snapdragon 600 chip from Qualcomm, which will help power the display and the phone’s operating system (likely Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, since we’re not expecting Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie until Google’s i/O Conference in May). The new Smapdragon chips don’t quite touch NVIDIA’s top-of-the-line Tegra 4 SuperChip Processors, but Qualcomm’s 600s clock in at about twice as fast as the Exynos 4 chip in the Galaxy S3.

4. Connectivity

More and more customers use their phones to browse the Web, so Internet connectivity speed is a major issue for customers, particularly in connecting over Wi-Fi and cellular bands. While the Samsung Galaxy S3 featured 4G LTE, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is said to boast an even more powerful chip from Broadcom — the “5G Wi-Fi combo chip,” listed as the BCM4335 chip. According to Broadcom’s press release, the BCM 4335 is the “only combo chip to address unique interference challenges in systems with both 4G LTE cellular radios and wireless connectivity.” The 5G Wi-Fi combo chip is also said to improve the wireless range of devices, making it even easier and faster to stream and download large files or videos.

5. Camera

Compared to the 8-megapixel camera in the Galaxy S3, many reports have claimed the Samsung Galaxy S4 would boast a beefy 13-megapixel camera, with an added feature that would put the iPhone’s Panorama to shame: While Google introduced its 360-degree panorama called “Photosphere” in Android 4.2, the Galaxy S4 will reportedly include a similar feature called “Samsung Orb,” which is said to create similar 360-degree images to create 3D-like photography; the company has allegedly been working with Facebook to ensure easy sharing of Orb images to the popular social network.

6. Special Features

Among the quirky features we’ve heard may be coming to the Galaxy S4, we believe the main “special feature” of Samsung’s 2013 handset will be Atmel’s new MaXTouch S controllers, which allow users to interact with their devices without actually touching the screen. The feature is similar to the Galaxy Note 2 S Pen, which can draw on the 5.5-inch phablet by simply hovering over the screen in what’s called Air View, but in the Galaxy S4, users will reportedly not need a pen.

7. Price Tag

As far as price goes, we fully expect Samsung to retain identical price tags from the Galaxy S3 in the Galaxy S4. Now that the Galaxy S3 has seen a price drop — Samsung is selling last year’s model anywhere between $49 and $99 — Samsung is free to sell the Galaxy S4 at last year’s prices. If the company follows the same plan as last year, the Galaxy S4 could cost $199 for 16 GB or $249 for 32 GB. Without a two-year contract, it’s possible Samsung could sell the new handset at $599 and $649 for 16 and 32 GB storage models, respectively, like it did last year.

Considering the growing number of reports saying Apple is working on a cheaper iPhone, Samsung might be keen to lower the price range for the Galaxy S4 to make its flagship smartphone even more competitive throughout the year, especially when we reach the all-important holiday season.

8. Release Date

Last year, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S3 on May 3 but didn’t release the device until May 28, and that was in Europe. The US didn’t even get the Samsung Galaxy S3 until June 21; it’s possible Samsung will roll out the Galaxy S4 in a similar manner, releasing the phone in the US roughly a month after its public unveiling.

With the unveiling set for tomorrow, it won’t be long until the official release date hits: Considering how Samsung is announcing the phone in the US, it would make little sense to tease the home crowd by telling them the release date isn’t for another two months. That said, it’s entirely possible Samsung will make customers wait until April to actually purchase the new Galaxy S4, just so it has enough time to build more hype until the release. As we learned with the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5, a little hype can go along way when it comes to selling smartphones.

Samsung release a video on their new ATIV lineup that run Windows. The line up consist of ATIV S smart phone, ATIV Tab running on Windows RT and ATIV Smart PC hybrid computer that comes with a detachable keyboard dock. The video shows how the devices can be connected seamlessly and how easy you can get your work done anywhere. Check the video out!

Despite the cancellation of Google event due to hurricane attack in the US, they finally announced the Nexus 4 smartphone(LG), Nexus 7 32GB variant (ASUS) and Nexus 10 high resolution tablet (Samsung) along with the new version of Jelly Bean called Android 4.2 via online.

“Today, we’re excited to announce three great new Nexus devices … in small, medium and large,” wrote Google in a blog post. “And they all run Android 4.2, a new flavor of Jelly Bean — which includes the latest version of Google Now and other great new features.”

Nexus 10

The Nexus 10 by Samsung, includes a 2560 x 1600 resolution Super AMOLED display with 299ppi making it the highest resolution tablet today. Surpassing the iPad’s 264ppi Retina Display. The Nexus 10 also features Samsung’s new 1.7 GHz Exynos 5 chips, 2GB of RAM, NFC, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and a 9,000mAh battery that Google says will deliver five hours of video playback, or 500 hours of up-time on standby. No SD card slot for additional storage and comes with Android 4.2 pre-loaded as expected from a Nexus device. The 16GB version will cost $400, while the 32GB model is priced at $500. Available November 13. Despite of the awesomely high resolution, we think that the Nexus 10 is perhaps on of the ugliest tablet to date. Samsung is not known for making beautiful tablets and this is one of their worst design for tablets.

Nexus 4

Nexus 4 is a smartphone by LG with Quad-core processor, 4.7-inch display (320dpi), wireless charging capabilities, Google Now, and a new feature called Photo Sphere for creating 360-degree, Street View-like panorama shots. The Nexus 4 will go for $300 starting November 13. Nothing breath taking about this device but it look way better than the Nexus 10. But sadly, no LTE support yet. But the pricing will draw alot of attentions to it.

Nexus 7

The Nexus 7 will now only be available in 16GB ($200) and 32GB ($250) models while the 8GB version will be discontinued (if you have one, keep it, remember its limited edition now, might worth alot in the future, or maybe not). Also, Google will now offer 32GB Nexus 7 model with HSPA+ connectivity for $300. Nexus 7 is still the best among the 3. And the pricing of this device is just crazy good. Not the best tablet in the world but certainly the best for its price.

The Samsung Galaxy Note II officially goes on sale in Malaysia today with the big 3 telcos – DiGi, Celcom and Maxis offering contract bundle plans for the device. Retailing at RM2,299, the 5.5″ Android phone-tablet with quad-core 1.6GHz processor is also available without contract at Samsung Elite Partners and there’s also a roadshow happening at MidValley from today until Sunday.

For most people, getting outright can be blow to your wallet. If you’re already using or thinking of getting a postpaid plan with data, having a contracted plan with a telco makes more sense with subsidised Galaxy Note II pricing. We have compared the plans and pricing from all 3 telcos in Malaysia to find out the total minimum cost of owning a Galaxy Note II.

First of all, the comparison made is based on the minimum cost of ownership possible. This is assuming you don’t exceed the minimum monthly commitment or incur access charges. In real life scenario, this might vary especially for DiGi’s Smart Plan where you’re only paying for data, while calls and SMS are charged separately. For Maxis, Value Postpaid plan bundling, we have taken the lowest Value Plus plan which is RM30/month for comparison sake.

In terms of contract duration, all 3 telcos offer 12 months contract while only Maxis and DiGi offer the longest 24 months option. Celcom in the other hand has a middle ground option of 18 months, which is their longest contract duration available. Click on the tables below for larger size.

12 Months

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18 Months

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24 Months

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For DiGi, there’s extra monthly rebate savings for those that opt for auto-billing but we have omitted it as not all might choose this payment option. On Maxis, it is worth pointing out that Maxis One Club members will get to enjoy free advance payment waiver for all TalkMore 78 and Value Postpaid plans.

When deciding which plan is for you, the minimum ownership cost is just for a baseline reference. You would need to think about your current call, SMS and data usage pattern to find out which plan is suited for your need. There’s also network coverage and service quality to consider as well. Since you’re committing to a contract, it is best to stay with a telco that has optimal service at your area as cancelling a contract halfway would attract unnecessary penalty charges.